


Walk a Little Straighter

by yavanna_195



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, And Then Take Them Away, Angst, Canon Compliant, Depression, I Will Make You Attached to Things, I apologize in advance, I'm so sorry, Like a Terrible Parent, Suicide, Trigger Warnings Galore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-26 06:05:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15657276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yavanna_195/pseuds/yavanna_195
Summary: "You have a name, kid?" he asked. "My name's Hank.""Yeah, it's Gavin," I replied slowly. It hurt to talk. "Gavin Reed."





	Walk a Little Straighter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to give you guys a heads up before you start reading, this is not going to be a happy story! So if you're looking for fluff and happiness and rainbows, turn back now before you get attached! But if you're looking for angst and sadness and an excuse to tear your heart out and trample it under your feet, as I always am, then boy do I have a treat for you! I was told not to write this because my friend said the premise was too depressing, but I know there are people in this fandom who are just as masochistic as I am. :) 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains alcoholism, death, and depression. I know, I know - "Duh! It's DBH! What else would we expect?" But I'm playing on the safe side here, okay?
> 
> So, without further ado - LET THE SADNESS BEGIN!!!!

_December 11, 2016_ | _10:20 PM_ | _I-94, near Detroit Metro_

"Rich, I swear to God, pull this car over right now!"

"Relax, Jen. I can drive fine."

"No, you can't. Do you remember how much you've had to drink tonight because I do!"

"I can hold my liquor, babe. And I'm still a better driver after a few beers than you are sober, anyway."

"Oh, you shut your mouth. Look! You're swerving all over our lane."

"But I haven't gone out of it. Geez, if you're so concerned, maybe you should have just stayed at the dinner and gone home with one of your friends."

"And leave the kids with you? Do you think I'm stupid? Someone has to watch out for them if you don't want to!"

My mom glanced back at the two of us behind them, seemingly asleep. My little sister was, but I wasn't. I hated these arguments, and my dad scared me, even though I would never admit it to my mom and sister. Just two years to go and I'd have my driver's license, and then we wouldn't need him to drive anywhere anymore. Mom had never gotten her license, or otherwise, we'd never be in this situation. I'd be able to get a job and then we could kick him out for good, or something. Mom probably wouldn't leave him, but I could probably take my sister away at least.

I glanced out my window. The lights of Detroit Metro shown to our left as we headed back into the city like Christmas lights in the dark December night. As a plane passed overhead, I imagined boarding one with my sister and going far, far away. Away from him. 

It had started to snow lightly. My heart suddenly rose. Maybe we'd get a snow day tomorrow. It had been bright and sunny yesterday, but the weather in Michigan could change in a heartbeat.

With that cheerful thought on my mind, I fell asleep. When I woke again it was to my mom's scream and the squeal of tires. Then everything went black.

***

_December 11, 2016_ | _10:55 PM_ | _DPD Third Precinct_

"God, I hate this shift. Particularly because nothing's open for food runs."

"Nothing? There's literally a McDonald's right next to the building!"

Hank yawned. He personally preferred the night shift. Surprisingly enough, even for Detroit, there wasn't much to do at night. Most burglaries happened during the day, and any shootings usually weren't reported until the morning. And if you weren't scheduled for patrol, you got to catch up on work and maybe even pull out some old case files if you had the time, as long as nothing got called in. Which, of course, always happened when you were most behind on paperwork.

He looked up as Detective Wilkins, one of his supervisors, walked up to his desk. 

"Anderson! Get up! You're coming with me. We just had a call come in."

"Shooting?"

"No, car accident. Apparently, some idiot forgot that roads get slippery when it snows and swerved into another lane and ended up rolled over next to the barrier. Now hustle!"

Hank sighed and got up, glaring at the paperwork that now seemed to be smirking up at him as if it had contrived the accident itself for his own personal inconvenience, and followed his fellow officer to the car park in the back.

"What do we know so far?"

"The woman who made the call said that everyone in the car that was hit are fine but the front is totaled. The vehicle that swerved doesn’t look too good, though. It got hit on the passenger side and then it spun off the road and the driver side hit a concrete wall before it flipped back and came to a rest upside down. No one’s gone up to the vehicle to check, but they said no one’s emerged from the car yet. You’ll probably see your first corpse tonight.”

Hank swallowed hard. When they walked out into the park they could hear sirens across the street from the hospital.

“Well, ambulances are already out. Let’s get moving.”

***

_December 11,_ _2016_ | _11:10 PM_ | _I-94, near Jeffries Freeway exit_

By the time the pair of officers pulled up, an ambulance and the fire department had already arrived. Officer Wilkins immediately headed off to interview the few witnesses of the crash who had bothered to stay behind to give their statement.

“Anderson, head over to the wreck. See if they need any help.”

Hank nodded and walked off in the direction of the wreck. When he passed behind the other two emergency vehicles, he felt his heart stop. A small black sedan was lying crumpled upside down on the side of the road, smoking. The front passenger door had been completely caved in from the impact, but the rear seemed fine. He hurried forward to one of the paramedics near the ambulance who looked up as he drew closer. He could see that she had been crying.

“It was a family,” she told him. “Mom, dad, and two kids. The son is alive but is in critical condition. The parents and sister were killed upon impact. Our second ambulance just took him to Henry Ford for surgery. We’re just finishing removing the deceased.”

“Any idea what caused the crash?”

“The dad was driving under the influence. The firefighters could smell the alcohol as soon as they got the doors off.”

Hank nodded.

“We’ve called in two more patrol cars to block off the eastbound lanes until they’re clear. They’re five minutes out still. Take your time.”

He headed back to Wilkins.

“I talked to one of the paramedics. It was a drunk driving incident. Family of four. The son is the only survivor and they’ve removed him to Henry Ford. He’s in surgery. We should head back and see if we can get anything from him when he wakes up.”

Wilkins nodded.

“All the witness statements seem to back that up. Apparently, the vehicle was weaving pretty badly for a while before it finally lost control and was speeding. When it braked for a car in front that it had overtaken it skidded and crossed into the next lane. I’ll put in a call to the hospital and tell them to let us know when the kid wakes up so we can hear what happened from his perspective. If he does ever wake up. That was a nasty wreck.”

***

_December 13, 2016_ | _6:45 PM_ | _Henry Ford General Hospital_

I’d been awake for several hours now. The nurses had told me that I’d been out for two days and that my family was gone. I didn’t believe them at first. Not that I do now, but the possibility that it is true has been growing. If they were still alive, then would mom have been in to see me by now? It wasn’t until the police officers showed up that I actually realized that I wasn’t ever going to see any of them again. The younger officer smiled at me.

“Alright,” the older officer said. “Go talk to him by yourself. Get some practice.”

With that, he left.

The younger officer stepped forward. He took his hat off and sat down on the bed next to me, looking at me intently for a bit.

“Well, you certainly look like a mess,” he said. “The surgeons were pretty sure you weren’t going to make it. You had a punctured…ah, whatever, I can’t pronounce it. Broke your nose, too. That’s gonna leave a mean-looking scar.”

I reached up, feeling the line of stitches on the bridge of my nose. I hadn’t even noticed before. Everything else hurt so much.

“You have a name, kid?” he asked. “My name’s Hank.”

“Yeah, it’s Gavin,” I replied slowly. It hurt to talk. “Gavin Reed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, I am a very detail oriented person. I went and pulled the weather records for Detroit in 2016 and found a day when it was actually snowing all day for this chapter because I'm weird like that. Also, if you care to hop on Google Street View and take a gander at the DPD's Third Precinct station, you will find Henry Ford Hospital in its proper place. (And our dear friend the McDonald's.) I live in Michigan and have relatives in Detroit, and I would be ashamed if anything was out of its proper place.


End file.
